Improvement in knob-latches



UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

MILTON G. NILES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNOB-L'ATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 184,259, dated November14, 1876; application filed August 12, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, MILTON 0. Nuts, of Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented a new and useful 'Improvement in DoorKnobs and Locks, which is fully set forth in the followingspecification,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which section ofthe same on the line 2 c, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6, a perspective view ofthe spindle; Fig. 7, a back view of therose and knob attached; and Fig. 8, a cross-section of the same, takenon the line y y, Fig. 7.

The object of my invention is to simplify and cheapen the constructionof door locks and knobs by dispensing with the usual hub, and operatingthe bolt directly by the spindle engaging with the talons or catches ofthe bolt.

The invention consists in a tube extending through the lock, and on eachside thereof, so as'to receive the roses, and cut away at its centralportion to receive the talons of the bolt, which pass Within it, and areengaged by a spindle constructed for this purpose, and rotating withinthe tube; also, in the peculiar construction of the spindle, so that itperforms the functions of both the spindle and the usual hub; and alsoin various combinations of devices, forth.

In the drawings, A represents a mortiselock of ordinary construction,except in the particulars hereinafter named; In the plates of the caseround holes A are cut at the usual places for the reception of the hub;but they are made considerably larger than is necessary for an ordinaryhub. A notch or recess, a, is also cut in each plate, opening into theholes A. A tube, B, is passed through the holes A in the sides of thelock-case, and is secured from turning therein by means of a spline, b,which fits in the notches a in the plates of the case. This tube B ismade of as will be hereinafter fully set .of this tube are left entire;but the central portion is cut out on each side of the spline b, so asto have large openings 1) into the interior of the tube, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. These openings b are arranged so as topermit the talons G to pass into the. interior of the tube, as shown inFig. l of the drawings.

The talons are of ordinary construction, except that their ends 0 arebent inward toward each other, instead of outward or to one side, as isusually the case. They are connected to the bolt D in the usual manner.The bolt D is of ordinary construction, and is provided with the usualspring d, which forces it outward into its keeper. y

The spindle E is constructed in the ordinary manner for the purpose ofentering the sockets in the shanks of the knobs; but near its center itis provided with a projection, 0, cast upon it, the exterior surface ofwhich is convex, with edges projecting somewhat beyond the body, so asto form flanges, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. This piece 6 shouldbe in length about equal to the thickness of the lock, and should bewide enough to engage with the talons Q when placed within the tube B,as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The convex surface of the cam orpiece 0 is intended to conform to the concave surface of the tube B; butthe several devices should be so arranged with reference to each otherthat there is no contact between the piece e and the tube B, by whichfriction would be produced.

The roses F are constructed with a circular flange, f, upon their innerfaces, in the interior of which is cut a screw-thread, by means of whichthe roses are attached to the ends of the tube B. They are also providedwith a sniallnotch,f cut outfrom the holes in which are-inserted theends 0 .the knob-shanks. The knobs G are constructe with the usualshanks g, in which are sockets to receive the ends of the spindle E. Atthe pater end of the knobshank g is a 'projection or lug, g, whichpasses through the notch f in the rose, so as to per- -mit the end ofthe shank to be inserted in the rose, and which securely fastens theknob to the rose whenever the former is turned so as to bring the lug gbehind a flange, f in the rose F, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of thedrawlngs.

In order to attach my improved door-lock and knob to a door, the spindleand tube E should first be removed from the lock-case and the latterplaced in the mortise in the edge of the door H, provided for itsreception. The tube B is then passed through suitable holes in the door,and through the lock-case, the spline on the tube being slipped into thenotches in the lock-plates, so that the tube cannot turn in the case.One of the roses F is then screwed upon one end of the tube B, but notquite turned up against the wood of the door. The spindle E is thenpassed up through the tube, the bolt D being at the same time forcedback so that its talons will be pushed through the openings B in thetube far enough to permit the-cam or projection e to pass behind theminto the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The knob is then putupon the end of the spindle projecting from the rose already attached,and in the end of the knob-shank is inserted in the rose, as describedabove. The other rose is now screwed upon the other end of the tube Band turned nearly home, and the other knob is attached thereto. Theroses should then be turned down tight upon the door, and a half orthree-quarters turn having been left when the roses were first attached,the notches f will be carried around so far when the roses are turneddown that the lug 9 cannot be brought to engage therewith in the limitedmotion permitted to the knob in reciprocating the bolt. It will be seenfrom the description that when this spindle is turned slightly, one orthe other of the edges of the projecting cam 6 will engage with anddrive back one of the talons of the bolt, and thereby slide the latter,as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The knobs being secured to the spindle, as described, the latter isturned by them to 0perate the bolt, and it will be seen that the spindleE performs the functions both of an ordinary spindle and of the usualhub which operates to slide the bolt.

It will also be seen that there are no bearing-surfaces in either thedoor or the lock, the bearings of the spindle being the bearings of theknob-shanks in the roses. There is, therefore, very little friction andvery little wearing-surface, so that the knob may be turned and the boltwithdrawn with great ease, and there is small opportunity for theloosening of parts by the wearing away of surfaces.

With this improvement the ordinary screws for attaching the lock to thedoor may be dispensed with, as the lock is securely held in place by thetube B and its attachments.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The lock-case A, provided with holes A, in combination with the tubeB, having central openings 1), the spindle E, provided with a cam orprojection, e, and the bolt-talons G, with the free ends bent inwardtoward each other, as specified, all constructed, arranged, andoperating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the look A, provided with holes A and notches a,and the tube B, having a spline, b, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

3. The combination of the perforated look A, the tube B, constructedwith the ends entire, and screw-threads cut thereon, extending throughthe lock and projecting from each side thereof, the roses F screwedthereto, the spindle E arranged within the tube, and the knobs G,attached to the roses by means of the notch f and the lug g,substantially as described.

4. The combination of the tube B, spindle E, roses F, and knobs G,constructed and arranged so that the only bearings are those of theknob-shanks in the roses, substantially as described.

MILTON O. NILES. Witnesses:

LEwIs L. OoBURN, L. M. HARRIS.

